Oct. 11 Windows Phone 7 launch event confirmed

Microsoft has sent out invitations to a Worldwide Launch Event for Windows Phone 7 on October 11 in New York City. The launch will feature an exclusive lineup of T-Mobile devices.

The event will take place at the NYC Microsoft Technology Center from 3:00-4:30 p.m. Eastern. Attendees will receive an "insider's look" at Windows Phone 7, as well as a hands on "exclusive showing of T-Mobile powered Windows Phone 7 devices."

An invitation was posted to Microsoft's Event site and noticed by Engadget.

Last week, The Wall Street Journal had reported that AT&T would be Microsoft's launch carrier. Invitations for a separate Windows Phone 7 launch event for AT&T have been sent out, according to Wired.

Microsoft realizes that the stakes for Windows Phone 7 are high. Documents filed with the SEC revealed that the "loss of market share in the company's mobile phone business" had affected Steve Ballmer's end of year performance bonus.

The Redmond, Wash., company plans to make a big push to counter gains in the mobile market made by the iPhone and Android. Analysts expect Microsoft to spend as much as $500 million to market the launch of Windows Phone 7.

This is when you make a big event out of your mobile OS: after the buzz about the biggest deal in mobile OSes and their accompanying phone has been released a few months right before the holiday shopping season. Kudos to MS for getting this right.

So far, everything I've seen from WP7 looks promising. Not for my needs, but I think they could have a good corporate device which means it will likely be competing with Blackberry before the iPhone. Also, since it's a licensed OS that any HW vendor can use it could take some focus from Android for some vendors.

This is when you make a big event out of your mobile OS: after the buzz about the biggest deal in mobile OSes and their accompanying phone has been released a few months right before the holiday shopping season. Kudos to MS for getting this right.

So far, everything Ive seen from WP7 looks promising. Not for my needs, but I think they could have a good corporate device which means it will likely be competing with Blackberry before the iPhone. Also, since its a licensed OS that any HW vendor can use it could take some focus from Android for some vendors.

I don't know about that man. W7 UI is more consumer and social. It doesn't look corporate at all to me.

I don't know about that man. W7 UI is more consumer and social. It doesn't look corporate at all to me.

I can see that, but Ive talked with several people who work in tech related areas in large enterprises and the WP7 offers things that Android, BB OS and iOS doesnt. Namely, the Windows development platform. iOS is popular, easy and cheap but many of these companies have developers that know MS products, have consultants that do, and therefore can (or at least think) WP7 can offer them some cost savings.

Add in the fact they can do what they do with PCs and let HW vendors fight over contracts because they all run the same OS. With iOS and BB OS you have to use the RiM or Apple device. This isnt nearly the issue it is with PCs, but there is still enough reason for corporations to consider this angle. Android is surprising popular in the enterprise according to a recent article I read yet every company Im associated with wont support it due to its inherently security issues.

Horrid, maybe, but it aggregates social stuff and puts it front and center, as I understand it. That definitely seems consumer-facing rather than corporate-facing. Not that I've spent any time looking at the UI. I'm like you. I looked at it, began to taste vomit, and moved on. But I'll hand them this: they're not just shamelessly copying the iOS UI like Android does. At least not in the home screen. (And in case anyone rebukes me about Android having been around before iPhone: yes, I've seen it. But before the iPhone, Android was ripping off Blackberry. After iPhone, they changed to rip off the iPhone. In my book, that's not how you get to Valhalla).